Automatic electric switch for cable-carrying drums



April 3, 1928.

J. H. COHEN AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITGH-FOR CABLE CARRYING DRUMS FiledNov. 13. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet April 3, 1928.

J. H. COHEN v AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR CABLE CARRYING DRUMS FiledNov. 5. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 um E w 5 ,0 l

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C yX-hiernaar Patented prp,Y 1928; lf y TES",

' meel v .'osiiiHHQoonsieoiinrnemonr, Cofiviviicriourii. s

EonoABLE-Cenrne nnuiusi 'K A switches for[cable-carryingdrums, lof thatl general type "employed in connection with clgarfllght'ers7 for use onmotorjvehiclesfor y any other place, or forotherfdevieeswhieh i hwlt-hparts inelevatioin'but withlthenut and Vare sup liedwithaneleetriccurrentthrough a tlexib e'carrier carried-uponaselfwinding drum'org reel' through: parts of: which thev nll'electrical current passed.`e The present inventiomhas for its objects y famongv otherslto provideasimple-,"eiiieient, `and dependable devieefo thisln'ature, capa-v y bleofgeneral use7V not liable to" get out ofV order, embodying inits'mavkeup aminimum `number-of parte consistent withpositive andreliable results,"capable vkof`prg'jduotion at Vsmall cosh-fandreadily-assembled. f

Other lobjec'lts andl advantages Aof lthe invention will` hereinafterappear) and the Y novel e 'featuresthereof'willbe particularlyjpointed.out inthe app'endedf-claims.l i

, *j .Broadly` "considered;4 y ,the invention Y eInf bodies a springdrumwi'th Vcord or cable l attached theretotobe Woundfthereon or unwoundtherefrom,'- said cable fs'ervin'g as" a` currentr conducting 'lwire orf-Irieans, iand'` the y drumcar'ried by a revolublef'sorewsthreadedmember `which constitutes; a' helical' cam] andk with which eoactsanon-(rotatable member, as a nut, this'enonerotatablefiiieinberLflexibly carrying a" current-carrying membercontrolled in its movementsvby the movement :of tlien'ut toward and'from thedrum andserv'- i ing inconjunction withl the drumA as a conf tact-member by makinglabfrush-likeengagement with the adjacent face off the drumffto make any electricalconneotionlwith acurre'nt- `r carrying''portion ofithedrumrso astovclose i0 the oircuitl The degreetowhichfthe'cable "must A1 be 'drawn outtolelosefthefeircuitinay be varied as circuinstsuic'esnuayzrequireandAVmayV be predetermined by the pitch andv fine-p' ness "of 1the threads'on'the nuten'd itsoov-r operating member movable 'with the drum. (i

f `The invention; hereinbeforebriefiy stated. is capable Jo'f'embodiment`in ia' Variety 'of forms,v a 'number only"ofwhiehf-` are herein yillustratd, but which serveto show several practical :embodiments `*ofthe invention. f {The inventiongfinfsuch preferred forms,fis clearly:villustrated'jf "fthei aeeomparly/ing, drawings, .which7 with thenumerals ot ref` erenee ,marked'thereom 'form a part of this.Specfeetiee and 'in WhfhV `l i le' is eSubstantially@wel Section i uelevation.

Figure l, looking vin Athe"directionof the arrow.

Figure 3 Vis an `enlarged sectional detail the 'parts carried therebyshownin different positions. f y e Figure @Lis a detail sectiontakenparallel `ith the axis of the drum, 'showing a modi ytied form. v I YFigureV 5 lisa section onthe line 5-"5" ofV Figure 4, lookingin theyVdireetion'r of the `Figiire `6 isa lView similarto Figure t,-

showinjg anothen'iorm of embodiment oi the l invention. 4 f y v Y Figure7 is a; perspeotiveview of thecontact-oarryingfnut removed and" with thecontact member'omitted.""

I -Like numeralsof referenceindicate like parts throughoutthefseveralviews.y fs

Referring to the4 drawings, f Y kl design etes a suitable.' casing jojrhousing within'whichisyrotatably mountedthe drum or re'e1 and ingjwhichlare locatedlthe other partsv ofthedeviee except the 'currentconsumingvdevice 2,'show'n` conventionallyy in Figure 2; and which'may be aoigan-lighter such asis usually employed inthis classfofV devices, oritflmayv be lalainpfthe "cord, or cable 3 confneoted'with the-element inthe 1 usual way being extended throughan open Figure 2 is a section aslon the line2-2 of,

wkemgmuy mengt the devies' with pari-s;

passed `throughV the socket or bushing 5 clamped tothe member 6` whichmay be the dash orwother portion ofpa motor-vehicle, V

(and 8 designatingthe "nutsupon the screwthreaded member 5L 'for vlanyobvious purpose.

-, The ydrum or' reel* eonstructon preferably f includes two metallicldiscs or head vflanges 9 and l0 tiXedly mounted upon ahubdl, the'insulating vcollar 12g and the twofdisos in# sulated fromfeachotherbythe bre or other disc 131 surrounding" the hub., and," rupon 1 which iswound the wire or oable', asseenin '7105s' j Figure l. 'The hubllhasacollar 14' fitted y within an axialopening' in thel disc orheaddisc 9 beinginsulatedrom the hub byfan y v ,Y

r1`he dise or member 10 is provided with an annular flange 18 withinwhich is housed the spring 19, see Figure l, one end of said springbeing iixed in any Well-known Way to said rlange,rand the other endaiiixed, as at 20, to the bolt or the like 2l mounted at one end in thehub 11, and the other end carrying a screw 22 mounted in a bearing 23 inone wall of the housing l, as seen in Figure l. Other means, however, ofmounting this end of the hub may be resorted to, and any suitable meansmay be employed for atta-ching this end ot the spring.

The screw-threaded member mounted in a suitable bearing 27 on the wall28 of: the housing, its other end beingl rigid with the hub l1, so as torotate with the drum.

29 is a member having an axial opening 3() internally threaded, as at3l, see Figure 7, tor cooperation with the threaded member This member29 is non-rotatable but is mounted for movement toward and away from tledisc or drum flange 9, and, in the present instance, is guided in suchmovements by the guide members 32 extended loosely through the openings33 in the ears 3d of the nut 29, see Figuresl l and 3.

35 is a member of metal secured to the i face of the nut 29 by anysuitable means,

such as 36, see Figure l, and lto this member 35 is soldered orotherwise al'lixed one end ot' a coiled spring 37, the other end ofwhich is soldered or otherwise ai'hxed to the member 38, from whichextend parallel with the member 25, or substantially so, a plurality oicontacts 39, the number of Which may be varied, as found most expedient,and which are 'designed for Contact with the dise 9 under predeterminedconditions, as will soon be explained. Y

40 are binding posts equipped with nuts and of usual form supported inthe housing l, as seen i-n Figures l and 2.

41 is a Wire leading Yfrom a battery and connected up with one of thebinding posts` +10, as seen in Figures l and 3. 42 is a Wire connectedwith the other binding post and leading to ground.

43 is a Wire leading from the binding post connected to battery and theother end ot this wire is connected with the metal member 235 carried bythe traveling nut 29.

'The opera-tion Will-l be clear from the :foregoing description whentaken in connection With the annexed drawings. Briefly stated, it is asfollows -Normally the cable or Wire 3 is Wound upon the drum. `Wl1en themember 2 is grasped to pull the cable out, the drum is revolved againstthe tension ot its spring. Normally the contactpoints 39. are out ofcontact with the adjacent 'face or flange of the drum, as seen in Figure1, the spring 37 beingexpanded, as shown, and the circuit Ais broken.The cable yis pulled out a foot, more or less, as may be previouslydetermined, before Contact is made to coinplete the circuit. By thismeans I provide for positive assurance that the current will be shut oituntil the cable has been drawn out a certa-in distance and also makesure that the current will Anot be lett on in case the member 2 is not'fully returned to its normal position. As the cable is further drawnout the Contact members 39 are moved into engagement with the adjacentlace o'l the member 9 and the circuit is completed, and the member 2 `isenergized. lt is vlo be noted that the disposition ot the spring, the

nut and the contacts is such that as the nut is advanced by reason otthe rotation ot' the drum the contacts are first iorced into engagementwith the disc 9 under relatively light tension, but as the nut ist'urther moved the tension of the spring increases, and by Vthis meanseven when the part-s ha ve been in long continued use and become Wornthere will be positive contact. Figure 3 shows the position of' theparts when the contacts have been forced against the member 9 by themovement of the nut through the rotation of the drum. The make vandbreak positive, and possibility of shortcircuiting is avoided; theaction is of necessity positive and the same in every instance beingControlled positively by the rotation ot' the drum, either when thecable is wound or beingunwound. The positive action is not ,dependableupon the spring. As the ment ber 2 is released, the cable is Wound uponthe drum and the nut is moved in the opposite direction through positiveconnection with the screw member 25 and the contacts are moved out ofengagement with the member 9, as will be readily understood.

It will be noticed that the construction is such that the lcontact nutand the parts 'carried thereby remain practically dormant, after thecircuit is broken, during the rewind of the drum, tor as soon as themember 2 is returned to its normal position the contacts are moved outof engagement with the inember 9, and thu-s remain inactive until themember 2 is again pulled out sullitiently to bring the said contactsinto contact with the member 9 to complete the circuit and energize themember 2.

It may sometimes be lound desirable to lprovide means for guiding themember lf which carries the contacts 39. ln such case I may provide suchmember 38 with libre or other insulating guide members 4l. as seen inFigure 3, these members having openings for the free ,passage ol theguide rods 32.

The cable `has one strand soldered or other The bolt 2l serves as afixed shaft it'or the 15 ends ofthe spring remaining in Contactl Withdrum and also as a means Wherebytheend ofthespringmaybe'aflixedimposition. Y 'Figure 2l `showsfa different form/of embodiment of theinvention', but involving the l same generic. features.. :disc 45 ofthe'drum'.fisprovided uponits face adjacent ,the contact-carrying nut :With

In" this form the a plateor. disc 46V of' insulating material.

i i' :The-hub is vinsulatedfrom the 'disc 4 5 'by suitable Ainsulation148 and further from Vthe* disc 4 5 byfthe insulating collar VK49,50being binding post, Whilej62 is a Wire leading f le n engage theinsulating member 46,'as indii' afmetal collar bearing *against` thecollar 49 and Y k51 being.` the memberl holding' `the saidcollarririplace. 52 is the'screvv shaft carry` `ingf,thejdrum and thegend of thisfhas `a bearingfinithe'ivall'of the housing, as seen at 54..`55and ar'e the binding 4posts for the connection of the wires the sameasin the form shown in Figures l and 3.l 57; and 58 areguiderods*carriedfby the/Wall of the housing and freely slidable'throughopen-` ings flinthenut 60.` i p 6l is awire leading," from battery tethe fromV the outer binding post 56 to ground.y

63 is a Wire leading from the binding post 554 to the .metalspringmembert Which is secured to theV face of the nut-60, as seen `inl'Figure 4L at 65. This spring` i`s` arched, as

shoWn,`its ends being designed to'normally cated by full lines' Figure ey c lIt is to be understood that the parts are connectedgup the'l same?as in Figures l, 2A

and 3, the cable'being Wound upon the drum,

y which isspringactuated as before, and the.' d nut lcontrolled in its4movements by the revolution of the drum. Normally 'the ends of the,`

,spring 6ft are. in engagement with thevginsulating member 46, as shownby full lines in Figure14,the other parts-being in the position shown byfull lines inthe said Figure 4. Now, kwhen thernember 2 is pulled upon,

the cable will be drawn out from thefreel,

and the reel or drum thereby revolved, Vthe the saidinsulating memberuntil there has been afoot more or lessas may bev previouslyvdetermined, drawn out.l During ,this time, olf-course, tlieccurr'ent isshut off,the circuit `being broken.V As more of the cable pulled out,the nut ismovedlurther to#` Ward the adjacent flange ,ofthe drum or reeland the spring 64 is caused to spread so that its ends will be moved outof Contact with thetinsulating dise and Will then engage the metalportion of thedrum flange or disc andthe circuit Will be completed andthe member2 energized; As the drum 're-` Winds, the nut isvmoved in theopposite di-` rection Vand the spring returns to itsnormal position,`with its ends Vin contact with thev insulating disc and the current 1sshut off.

i 4ture; isf quitesmler to, that just described In the form shown inFigure 6, ythe struc.

flangey has :suchqends normally out of contacttherewitlufas seenyin-said Figure 6, so that under normali conditionsthe circuit is broken.The spring 1s arched as: beforefand is attached to the nut by 'anysuitable means,

Willbelbrought up` againstthe disc by the movement of' thenutand thecircuitv closed and the member 2 energized. On the rewind,-thenut moves"away from the drum as atf.` Asthe cable is drawn out, it movesl thepredetermined distance Without the' ends of the spring contacting withthe drum disc. V'Afterjthe cable has been pulled out the preso ydetermined distance, vthe.` ends of the spring disc Aand the springleaves the latter and shuts off the current/,The spring is connected.with the binding lpost by Wire'i69, the

binding .posts being `connected with battery y l yand ground as in theotherl forms.

Modii'cations inV detail, proportion andl relativejarrangernent of partsmay be resorted to Without departing from `the spirit."

of the invention advantages.,V Y y l lVhat is olaimedfas new is z-1.-A"take.up device for ycurrent-carrying ,or` sacrificing any of itslcables, comprisingV a current carrier take-upvv drum on Which the cableisv Wound and to which the cable is electrically connected, the drumhaving a` Contact memberforming a of the drum and adapted tofcarrycurrent and movable towardv and from the drum in a direction parallel tothe axis `thereof through .therotation of the Vdrum 'to elec.-

ytrically engage and ldisengage thesaid contact member which ormsanecessary structuralpart of the'drum. v

2. A take-up' devicefor current-carrying cables, comprising adrum casingyprovided necessary structural lpart of it; and aco operating contactmember disposed axially' with acover plate; a take-up drum mounted inthecasing; a currentcarrying contact inembernlovable axlallyof the druminto` electrical 1 engagement y-therewith5 a i rotary threaded elementrotatable with the drum;

anon-rotating threaded element cooperat-y "ingwith said rotary elementVto cause theV Contact lto move ,intoengagement With the drum when-thedrum 1s rotated' to unwind the lcable",therefrom; and means for anchor-`ing lsaid non-rotating threaded ,element on said cover `plate againstturningmovement. i

3. A talze-up device for4 current-'carryingr tables comprising a drum`casing provided with acoverplate a take-up drum mounted electricalen.gfigeueatv therewith ;V e i rotary in the `casing;v aV4current-carrying contactv member movable axially ofthe drum into; um dsut..

E' threaded element rotatable with the drum;

- a non-rotating threaded element cooperating.)r

' the drum when the drum is rotated to unwind the cable therefrom, thenon-rotating threaded element being, adjustable With rela# tion to therotating threaded element so as to vary the extent oi2 movement of thedrum which is necessary to bring the contact into engagement with thedrum; and means on the cover plateof the casing' for anchoring thenon-rotating threaded element against turningl movement.

4. In a device of the character described, a cable-reel, two members.,one a nut and the other a screw associated with said reel, the nut andsere-W beingl one rotatable with respect to the other', means forrotating the rotatable one ot' said members as the cable reel rotates sothat, as a result of the screwthreaded engagement of the one member Withtheother, bodilyv movement of one of the memberstoivard the reel iseffected, a current carrying Contact on the movable member adapted tomake electrical engagement with a Contact on the reel when moved bodilytoward the reel; and non-currcnt carrying means vfor holding the memberwhich does not rotate against rotation.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JOSEPH H. COI-IEN.

